Facile synthesis of one-dimensional hollow Sb2O3@TiO2 composites as anode materials for lithium ion batteries

Abstract Metallic Sb is deemed as a promising anode material for lithium ion batteries (LIBs) due to its flat voltage platform and high security. Nevertheless, the limited capacity restricts its large-scale application. Therefore, a simple and effective method to explore novel antimony trioxide with high capacity used as anode material for LIBs is imperative. In this work, we report a facile and efficient strategy to fabricate 1D hollow Sb 2 O 3 @TiO 2 composites by using the Kirkendall effect. When used as an anode material for LIBs, the optimal Sb 2 O 3 @TiO 2 composite displays a high reversible discharge capacity of 593 mAh g −1 at a current density of 100 mA g −1 after 100 cycles and a relatively superior discharge capacity of 439 mAh g −1 at a current density of 500 mA g −1 even after 600 cycles. In addition, a reversible discharge capacity of 334 mAh g −1 can also be obtained even at a current density of 2000 mA g −1 . The excellent cycling stability and rate performance of the Sb 2 O 3 @TiO 2 composite can be attributed to the synergistic effect of TiO 2 shell and hollow structure of Sb 2 O 3 , both of which can effectively buffer the volume expansion and maintain the integrity of the electrode during the repeated charge-discharge cycles.